Public Education

The Florida Museum of Natural History is dedicated to providing ongoing educational
services to the residents of Florida and the general public. In keeping
with that mission, the Caribbean Archaeology Program is pleased to present the
following presentations for your enjoyment and information. When you have
finished learning about these topics, click to the Florida
Museum of Natural History Home Page for recent science news, interesting
facts, and links to all of the Museum's departments.

Native Peoples of the West Indies

Long before Columbus, the islands of the Caribbean were home to Native American
peoples. Over thousands of years, these island inhabitants
built rich and diverse cultures, with their own technology, diet,
history, religion, and art. Sadly, these people all but disappeared
in less than a generation after their first contact with Europeans.
Learn more about the lives and culture of a vanished people by clicking
on the Lucayan man to the left.

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus. Admiral of the Ocean Sea. The Great Navigator. Renown
as the champion of the belief that the earth was round. The man
who sought the riches of the Far East by sailing to the west, and
who happened instead upon a New World. The man who discovered America.
How accurate is the portrait of Columbus that is painted today?
Learn more about Columbus the man, his mission, and the darker side
of his legacy by clicking on his portrait at left.

ZOMBI

When you think of zombies, if you do, you probably envision the movie Night of the Living
Dead, with its decomposing bodies escaping from their tombs to march
though the darkness in slow, unstoppable formations eager to capture the
living. But, not surprisingly, this is a Hollywood image that bears little
resemblance to a more frightening reality. Zombies really exist.
Learn more by clicking on the symbol of the Guardian of the Dead at left.